Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-02-12
THE CITY DEBT QUESTION
Considered Before the Assembly Commi
tee ON MunicipaI Corporations.

meeting of the Assembly Committe
on Municipal Corporations was held las
evening, at which large number of bust
ness men of Sacramento were present
Chairman Knox called the meeting TO orde
and said that the committee, at the reques
of citizens of Sacramento. had met to con
slider the so-called Dray- Carroll bill nov
pending. The Clerk called the roll of thu
| committee and only one responded to thu
call, Mr.. Young, but others subsequent.
appeared. Senator Dray was also present
Judge w. II. Beatty stated that he wa
| informed that a substitute bill had beer
agreed upon which would be acceptable tC
all concerned and do away with any ex
| tended argument.
Ex-Governor Booth said that bill had
been agreed upon, but he thought it should
be submitted to the committee. He did
not desire to argue the matter except be-
fore the committee He did not know, oil
his own knowledge, that any one doubted
the constitutionality of the proposed Act.
Major Anderson suggested that Judge
McKune should be heard that he thought
objections would be made.
Judge Beatty explained the present status
of the bill
Judge McKune said that perhaps it was
wise TO discuss the bill with view to as
certain if it was bill of good policy, aside
from the constitutionality of it. He said
he claimed that the original bill of 1872,
instead of being amended, should be re-
pealed altogether. He was prepared to
present reasons why it should be repealed.
He knew OF no one present besides himself
who would wish to be heard on his side
at this time.
Judge Beatty, in answer to a question,
stated that he had not supposed that any
one would appear to urge such radical
measure as the abolition of the Commission.
At this time a number of apologies were
offered for the failure of the committee to
be present to hear the citizens who had
come at the invitation of the committee.
Mr.. Young explained that the members
of the committee had been on official duty
every night except Sunday evening. which
time they improved in writing to their
families.
Governor Booth explained that the only
amendment now sought to be made was
the removal of the 35-cent limit on the
purchase Of bonds.
Judge McKune said that the city of Sac
ramento was not formed III the usual way.
1t commenced by the assembling of a self
constituted Government on August l, 1S49
When the city was organized there was a
limit placed on the debt of 100000. That
was the limit till March, 1851, when it was
made so that it should not exceed the
revenue of the city.
A long array of figures was here intro
duced, showing the early financial transac-
tons of the city. The bonds were to be
paid out of certain revenue. He pre-
scented a schedule showing the present
status of the debt the number and amounts
of the bonds and date of maturity, etc.
He claimed that the Trustees of the city
had for years been elected partly on the
issues of the debt.
He called attention to the fact that
brokers can be employed in the purchase
of bonds, which he thought great saving.
Mr.. Carroll, of the committee, made
some remarks, asking what the people
wanted. He wanted the committee to act
intelligently.
Ex-Governor Booth said that Mckune
claimed that the Commission wanted the
Act because it enabled them to handle the
money. This was false as not a cent was
handled by them. They serve without
salary, and keep their own books. 1t
would be a great relief to them to be re-
lieved from an onerous task which does not
pr, fit them in any way. This Commission
has received S212, 900 from taxes. 1t has with
but this sum purchased 81 $50, 900 of city
Indebtedness Without the levy of dollar
of additional tax, the Commission will re-
ceive $500, 900 in the next ten years from its
maturing coupons. The Courts have al
ways decided that we mast levy certain taxes
and we cannot get around it. Judge Nc
Kune has argued the case in all the Courts
but decisions have usually been against
him. The Governors remarks were forci-
bic and well received.
Pc. Plat appeared for the Board of
Trade, and stated that he had been dele
gated to convey to the committee the
Boards thorough'indorsement of the Com
mission, and gave it as a fact that nine
tenths of the substantial business men of
the city favored the same.
Ex-Mayor Tuner explained the action of
the Trustees and the Commission in refer
ence to certain transactions in 1879, which
had been reflected upon by Judge McKune.
Judge Beatty attacked the policy and
legal acts of Judge McKune in the past.
He went briefly into the cause of the orr
ginal debt. He made thorough and in
teligent argument in favor of the Act as
proposed, much of the ground of his able
speech being covered in his remarks be-
fore the Senate committee, and which has
heretofore appeared in the RECORD UNION.
Judge McKune made the closing re-
marks, which were somewhat confused and
rambling-going over much of the ground
previously traversed by him. He attacked
in very bitter and disgruntled manner
the entire Board of Trade for its cordial in
dorsement of the Commission, and sought
to prove by insinuation that a reason for
such Endorsement could be found in the
fact that the men constituting it were very
near to the members of the Commission.
and possibly had bonds to sell or other
axes to grind.
Mr.. Hopkins of the Board of Trade, at
this iuncture brought matters to climax
by asking Judge McKune who he repre-
sented in this controversy.
In reply, McKune attempted TO claim
that he was assisting w. A. Anderson, who
was employed by the Board of Trustees,
but it was soon clearly shown that the
Trustees utterly repudiated all response
bility for Anderson's presence before the
committee, they being now in harmony
with the Commissioners on the bill as
amended, and that Anderson had not been
employed by them in this matter.
After this passage-at-arms, Judge Nc
kune finally admitted that he came to rep
resent his personal views and not any one
else.
The sense of the committee seemed
wisely to be that the subject of the bill be-
ing a purely local matter, affecting only
the city of Sacramento, it was hardly worth
the while of the committee to discuss the
constitutionality of the measure, but that
the'question could be properly left to be
determined by the Courts, if such issue
should be raised.
The committee then, at nearly midnight
adjourned.
MASQUERADE BALL.-The eighteenth an
nual masquerade ball of the Sacramento
Turn Verein will be given at the old Pavil
ion on Tuesday evening, March LIST. There
will be gorgeous decorations, beautiful
costumes, fine music and everything neces
sary to insure the complete success of TIT
undertaking. Prizes to the value of $3.50
will be awarded, and they are now on ex-
hibition at McKim & 0rth's, Seventh ant
streets.
OFFICERS ELEcrED.-At the annual meet
ing of the Capital Branch of the Pacif'
Mutual Life Insurance Company held las
evening the following officers were elected
for the ensuing year: President, James |
Felter; Vice President, VIM. Mclaughlin
Secretary, Thomas Fox; Medical Examiner
w. II. Baldwin Executive Committee, w
r. Strong, f. Mier, G. H. Krebs, H. Fisher
A. A. Krull. John Studarus, o. A. Lovdal